With the US Department of Justice breathing down its neck, Apple is attempting to defend itself over allegations of ebook price fixing—claiming that it's the victim of conspiracy theories and over-analysis.

Apple claims that pubslishers were left to set their own prices, and it can't be held responiisble for them being high, reports Paid Content. Essentially, it points to the idea that Amazon's ebook prices were artificially low—which in some cases they were—and that publishers tried to restore normality by shifting prices. No blame, according to Apple, lies at its door.

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Apple is also keen to point out that the debacle is purely an ebook issue. Interesting, as the Department of Justice lawsuit hints that the price fixing was a way of slowing Amazon's entry into the tablet market. In response, Apple has said:

"...if Amazon was a "threat" that needed to be squelched by means of an illegal conspiracy, why would Apple offer Amazon's Kindle app on the iPad? Why would Apple conclude that conspiring to force Amazon to no longer lose money on eBooks would cripple Amazon's competitive fortunes?"

All of which are good points, but it's hard to get away from the fact that it does seem Apple was entangled in the price setting—at least to some extent. So, Apple versus the Department of Justice, then. Who'll win? [Paid Content]